Career Timeline of Jeff Bezos: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Jeff Bezos made an impact.
Jeff Bezos is an American businessman renowned as the founder and former CEO of Amazon, a global e-commerce and cloud computing giant. As of December 2025, his net worth is estimated at $239.4 billion, ranking him as the fourth richest person globally. He held the title of the wealthiest person in the world from 2017 to 2021.
1986: Graduation from Princeton and Wall Street Jobs
In 1986, Bezos graduated from Princeton University with a degree in engineering and subsequently began working on Wall Street in related fields.
1986: Job Offers and First Job at Fitel
In 1986, after graduating from college, Bezos received job offers from multiple companies and began working at Fitel, a fintech telecommunications start-up.
1988: Product Manager at Bankers Trust
In 1988, Bezos became a product manager at Bankers Trust.
1990: Works at D. E. Shaw & Co
From 1990, Bezos worked at D. E. Shaw & Co, a hedge fund.
July 5, 1994: Amazon Founded in Garage
On July 5, 1994, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Scott founded Amazon in a rented garage in Bellevue, Washington, after writing its business plan on a cross-country drive.
1994: Leaves D. E. Shaw & Co
In 1994, Bezos left his job at D. E. Shaw & Co to found Amazon.
1994: Moves to Seattle and Founds Amazon
In 1994, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Tuttle moved to Seattle, Washington, where Bezos founded Amazon.
1994: Amazon Founded
In mid-1994, Bezos founded Amazon as an online bookstore during a road trip from New York City to Seattle.
1997: Equity Offering
In 1997 Bezos used the $54 million raised during the company's equity offering to finance the aggressive acquisition of smaller competitors.
1997: Bezos Becomes a Millionaire
In 1997, Jeff Bezos became a millionaire after raising $54 million through Amazon's initial public offering (IPO).
1998: Diversification into Music and Video
In 1998, Bezos expanded Amazon's online sales to include music and video.
1998: Bezos Invested in Google
In 1998, Jeff Bezos invested $250,000 in Google through Bezos Expeditions, becoming one of Google's first shareholders.
1998: Bezos Started Publishing Annual Shareholder Letters
Since 1998, Jeff Bezos has published an annual letter for Amazon shareholders, outlining five principles: focus on customers, take risks, facilitate staff morale, build company culture, and empower people.
1999: Purchase of Pets.com
In 1999 Bezos purchased a majority stake in pets.com
1999: Bezos Included on Forbes World's Billionaires List
In 1999, Jeff Bezos was first included on the Forbes World's Billionaires list with an estimated net worth of $10.1 billion, placing him 19th in the world and 10th in the USA.
September 2000: Bezos Founded Blue Origin
In September 2000, Jeff Bezos founded Blue Origin, a human spaceflight startup, reflecting his long-held interest in space travel and the development of human life in the Solar System.
2000: Purchase of Kozmo.com
In 2000 Bezos purchased a portion of kozmo.com for $60 million, both of which would fail after the dot-com bubble collapse
2000: Blue Origin Founded
In 2000, Bezos founded the aerospace manufacturer and sub-orbital spaceflight services company Blue Origin.
2002: Amazon Web Services Launched and Workforce Reduction
In 2002, Bezos led Amazon to launch Amazon Web Services. Revenues stagnated later that year, and after the company nearly went bankrupt, he closed distribution centers and laid off 14% of the Amazon workforce.
2003: Amazon Rebounds and Turns a Profit
In 2003, Amazon rebounded from financial instability and turned a profit of $35 million.
2003: Rob Meyerson Led Blue Origin
In 2003, Rob Meyerson became the first president and leader of Blue Origin, a role he held until 2017.
2005: Net Worth Quadruples
From 2005 to 2007, Jeff Bezos quadrupled his net worth to $8.7 billion.
2006: Blue Origin Purchased Land in West Texas
In 2006, Blue Origin purchased a large tract of land in West Texas to establish a launch and test facility.
November 2007: Amazon Kindle Launched
In November 2007, Bezos launched the Amazon Kindle.
2007: Net Worth Quadruples
From 2005 to 2007, Jeff Bezos quadrupled his net worth to $8.7 billion.
2008: Net Worth Decreases After Financial Crisis
After the 2008 financial crisis and Great Recession, Jeff Bezos' net worth decreased to $6.8 billion—a 17.7% drop.
2010: Donation Against Washington State Income Tax
In 2010, Bezos donated $100,000 towards a movement against a Washington state income tax for "top earners".
2010: Wealth Rises Substantially
In 2010, Jeff Bezos' wealth rose by 85.2%, leaving him with $12.6 billion and ascending him to the 43rd spot on the Forbes ranking from 68th.
September 2011: Blue Origin Prototype Vehicle Crashed
In September 2011, one of Blue Origin's uncrewed prototype vehicles crashed during a short-hop test flight, which was viewed as a setback, although the company's progress was noted.
2011: Initial Alexa Discussion
In his initial discussion of the project which became Alexa with his technical advisor Greg Hart in 2011, Bezos told him that the goal was to create "the Star Trek computer."
2012: Contribution to Washington United for Marriage
In 2012, Jeff Bezos and MacKenzie Bezos contributed $2.5 million to Washington United for Marriage, supporting a yes vote on Washington Referendum 74, which affirmed a same-sex marriage law in the state. He also donated to Amazon's political action committee (PAC) which has given money to Democrats and Republicans.
May 2013: Bezos Met with Richard Branson
In May 2013, Jeff Bezos met with Richard Branson, chairman of Virgin Galactic, to discuss commercial spaceflight opportunities and strategies.
August 5, 2013: Bezos Announced Purchase of The Washington Post
On August 5, 2013, Jeff Bezos announced his purchase of The Washington Post for $250 million in cash, at the suggestion of Don Graham, establishing Nash Holdings as the holding company.
October 1, 2013: Sale of The Washington Post Closed
On October 1, 2013, the sale of The Washington Post to Jeff Bezos closed, and Nash Holdings took control of the newspaper.
2013: Bezos Expeditions Funded Recovery of Apollo 11 Engines
In 2013, Bezos Expeditions funded the recovery of two Saturn V first-stage Rocketdyne F-1 engines from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, identified as belonging to the Apollo 11 mission.
2013: Pledge to Worldreader
In 2013, Bezos pledged $500,000 to Worldreader, a non-profit founded by a former Amazon employee.
2013: Purchase of The Washington Post
In 2013, Bezos purchased The Washington Post newspaper for $250 million.
2013: $600-million contract with the CIA
In 2013, Bezos secured a $600-million contract with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) on behalf of Amazon Web Services.
2014: Amazon Wins CIA Cloud Computing Contract
In 2014, Amazon won a bid for a cloud computing contract with the CIA valued at $600 million.
2014: Net Worth Increase Due to Smartphone Rumors
In 2014, Jeff Bezos's net worth rose to $30.5 billion after rumors that Amazon was developing a smartphone.
2015: Blue Origin Announced Development of New Orbital Launch Vehicle
In 2015, Blue Origin announced that a new orbital launch vehicle was under development with its first flight planned for the late 2010s. In November, Blue Origin's New Shepard space vehicle successfully reached space and landed vertically back at the launch site.
2015: New Shepard Reaches Space
In 2015, Blue Origin's New Shepard vehicle reached space and successfully landed back on Earth.
January 2016: Bezos Set Out to Reinvent The Washington Post
In January 2016, Jeff Bezos set out to reinvent The Washington Post as a media and technology company by reconstructing its digital media, mobile platforms, and analytics software.
March 2016: Net Worth Registered at $45.2 Billion
By the time the Forbes list was calculated in March 2016, Jeff Bezos' net worth was registered at $45.2 billion.
May 2016: Sells Over One Million Shares
In May 2016, Bezos sold slightly more than one million shares of his holdings in Amazon for $671 million, marking the largest sum he had ever raised from selling Amazon stock at that time.
August 4, 2016: Sells Another Million Shares
On August 4, 2016, Bezos sold another million of his shares for $756.7 million.
October 2016: Wealth Increases Significantly
In October 2016, Jeff Bezos' wealth increased by $16.2 billion to $66.5 billion, unofficially ranking him the third-richest person in the world, behind Warren Buffett.
2016: Invitation to Trump's Defense Innovation Advisory Board
After the 2016 presidential election, Bezos was invited to join Donald Trump's Defense Innovation Advisory Board, an advisory council to improve the technology used by the Defense Department.
2016: Bezos Allowed Journalists to Tour Blue Origin Facility
In 2016, Jeff Bezos allowed select journalists to visit and tour Blue Origin's facility. He advocated for increased inter-space energy and industrial manufacturing to reduce pollution.
2016: Wealth Growth Assessed
Jeff Bezos' wealth's rapid growth from 2016 to 2017 sparked a variety of assessments about how much money Bezos earned on a controlled, reduced time scale.
2016: Bezos Publicly Spoke About Colonizing The Solar System
Since 2016, Jeff Bezos has spoken more freely about his hopes to colonize the solar system, and has been selling $1 billion in Amazon stock each year to capitalize Blue Origin in an effort to support this endeavor.
January 2017: Net Worth Increase
From January 2017 to January 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth increased by $33.6 billion.
May 2017: Donation to Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
In May 2017, Bezos gave $1 million to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which provides pro bono legal services for American journalists.
June 15, 2017: Philanthropy Strategy Inquiry on Twitter
On June 15, 2017, Bezos posted a message on Twitter asking for ideas for philanthropy: "I'm thinking about a philanthropy strategy that is the opposite of how I mostly spend my time—working on the long term".
July 2017: Bezos Briefly Unseats Bill Gates as Wealthiest Person
In July 2017, Jeff Bezos briefly unseated Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as the wealthiest person in the world after sporadic jumps in Amazon's share price.
October 10, 2017: Bezos Makes $6.24 Billion in 5 Minutes
On October 10, 2017, Jeff Bezos made an estimated $6.24 billion in 5 minutes, slightly less than the then annual gross domestic product of Kyrgyzstan.
October 2017: Bezos Surpasses Gates Throughout October
Throughout the month of October 2017, Jeff Bezos continued to sporadically surpass Bill Gates as the wealthiest person after Amazon's share price fluctuated.
December 2017: New Shepard Successfully Flew and Landed Dummy Passengers
In December 2017, Blue Origin's New Shepard successfully flew and landed dummy passengers, pushing the projected start date for human space travel into late 2018.
2017: Amazon Created 130,000 Jobs
In 2017, Amazon created 130,000 jobs. Amazon cited this fact in response to criticisms regarding the wages of its workers.
2017: Google Investment Valued at $3.1 Billion
In 2017, Jeff Bezos's $250,000 investment in Google was worth approximately $3.1 billion.
2017: Rob Meyerson Left Blue Origin
In 2017, Rob Meyerson left Blue Origin after having served as its first president and leader since 2003.
January 2018: Net Worth Increase and Amazon Worker Protests
From January 2017 to January 2018, Jeff Bezos's net worth increased by $33.6 billion. Following a report by Quartz highlighting Bezos' wealth, Amazon workers in Poland, Germany, and Spain participated in demonstrations and labor strikes.
January 2018: Donation to TheDream.US
In January 2018, Bezos made a $33 million donation to TheDream.US, a college scholarship fund for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as minors.
January 2018: Announcement of Bezos' Role in New Healthcare Company
In January 2018, an announcement was made concerning Jeff Bezos's role within a new healthcare company, later named Haven, a partnership between Amazon, JPMorgan, and Berkshire Hathaway.
January 19, 2018: Amazon Stock Holdings Appreciated
By January 19, 2018, Bezos's Amazon stock holdings had appreciated to slightly over $109 billion.
January 29, 2018: Featured in Amazon's Super Bowl Commercial
On January 29, 2018, Bezos was featured in Amazon's Super Bowl commercial.
February 1, 2018: Amazon Reports Record Profits
On February 1, 2018, Amazon reported its highest ever profit with quarterly earnings of $2 billion.
March 2018: Meeting with Mohammad bin Salman
In March 2018, Bezos met in Seattle with Mohammad bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, to discuss investment opportunities for Saudi Vision 2030.
March 2018: Investment in India and Trump's Accusations
In March 2018, Bezos sent Amit Agarwal to India with $5.5 billion to localize operations. Also that month, President Donald Trump accused Amazon and Bezos of sales tax avoidance, postal route misuse, and anti-competitive practices.
May 2018: Bezos Maintained Blue Origin's Goal to Preserve Earth's Resources
In May 2018, Jeff Bezos maintained that Blue Origin's primary goal was to preserve the natural resources of Earth by making the human species multi-planetary.
June 2018: Donation to Breakthrough Energy Ventures
In June 2018, Bezos donated to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a private philanthropic fund founded by Bill Gates aimed at promoting emissions-free energy.
July 2018: Commercial Spaceflight Ticket Prices Announced
In July 2018, it was announced that Jeff Bezos had priced commercial spaceflight tickets from $200,000 to $300,000 per person.
July 17, 2018: Bezos Designated "Wealthiest Person in Modern History"
On July 17, 2018, Jeff Bezos was designated the "wealthiest person in modern history" by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Fortune, MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal, and Forbes.
September 2018: Announcement of Focus on Homelessness and Preschools
In September 2018, Bezos announced that he would commit approximately $2 billion to a fund to deal with American homelessness and establish a network of non-profit preschools for low-income communities, establishing the "Day 1 Families Fund" and the "Day 1 Academies Fund".
September 2018: Donation to With Honor
In September 2018, Bezos donated $10 million to With Honor, a nonpartisan organization that works to increase the number of veterans in political office.
September 2018: Senator Sanders Introduces Stop BEZOS Act
In September 2018, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies (Stop BEZOS) Act, criticizing Amazon for allegedly receiving corporate welfare due to some of its workers relying on food stamps.
October 2, 2018: Bezos Announces Company-Wide Wage Increase
On October 2, 2018, Jeff Bezos announced a company-wide wage increase at Amazon, raising the minimum wage for American workers to $15 per hour, which was applauded by Senator Bernie Sanders and interpreted as support for the Fight for $15 movement.
November 2018: New Shepard to Begin Transporting Humans
In November 2018, it was announced that New Shepard would begin transporting humans into sub-orbital space.
2018: Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) Project Controversy
In 2018, controversy arose over a $10 billion contract with the Pentagon known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) project, which was allegedly written up in a way that favored Amazon.
2018: Bezos' Time Spent with Amazon Investors
In 2018, it was reported that Jeff Bezos met with Amazon investors for just six hours a year, favoring six-page narratives over presentation slides for high-level employee presentations.
November 2019: Amazon Files Lawsuit Over JEDI Contract Award
In November 2019, Amazon filed a lawsuit alleging bias after the JEDI contract was awarded to Microsoft instead.
February 2020: Pledge to Bezos Earth Fund
In February 2020, Bezos pledged $10 billion to combat climate change through the Bezos Earth Fund.
April 2020: Donation to Feeding America
In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Bezos donated $100 million to food banks through Feeding America.
February 2, 2021: Bezos Emails Amazon Employees About Transition
On February 2, 2021, Jeff Bezos sent an email to Amazon employees explaining that his transition would allow him to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and his other passions.
February 2021: Bezos Announces Resignation as CEO of Amazon
In February 2021, Jeff Bezos announced that he would step down as CEO of Amazon in the third quarter of 2021 to become the Executive Chairman of the Amazon Board.
July 5, 2021: Steps Down as Amazon CEO
On July 5, 2021, Bezos stepped down as the CEO and president of Amazon, transitioning to the role of executive chairman. Andy Jassy succeeded him as CEO.
July 6, 2021: Pentagon Cancels JEDI Contract
On July 6, 2021, the Pentagon cancelled the JEDI contract with Microsoft, citing evolving requirements and industry advances.
July 2021: Announcement of Courage and Civility Award
In July 2021, Bezos announced the Courage and Civility Award and donated $100 million each to lawyer Van Jones and chef José Andrés.
July 20, 2021: Bezos Launched on the NS-16 Mission
On July 20, 2021, Jeff Bezos launched on the NS-16 mission with his half-brother Mark Bezos, Wally Funk, and Oliver Daemen. The suborbital flight lasted over 10 minutes, reaching a peak altitude of 66.5 miles.
September 2021: Co-founded Altos Labs
In September 2021, Bezos co-founded Altos Labs with Yuri Milner.
November 2021: Pledge Towards Food Systems and Conservation
In November 2021, Bezos pledged to donate $2 billion towards restructuring food systems and nature conservation at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference. The Earth Fund supported the Earth Rover Program, which aims to develop high-yield low-environmental-impact farming by novel seismological study of soils, with $4m.
November 22, 2021: $100 Million Donation to Obama Foundation
On November 22, 2021, Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to the Obama Foundation to "help expand the scope of programming that reaches emerging leaders" and requested the Obama Presidential Center's plaza to be named after John Lewis.
2021: Stepping Down as CEO of Amazon
In 2021, Bezos stepped down as CEO of Amazon and started focusing on Blue Origin, as well as getting engaged to Lauren Sánchez, which may have changed his political views.
January 19, 2022: Altos Labs Launched
On January 19, 2022, Altos Labs launched with $3 billion in start capital and an executive team led by Hal Barron, focusing on cellular reprogramming for longevity therapeutics.
November 22, 2022: Award of Grants to Organizations Relocating Homeless Families
On November 22, 2022, Bezos awarded $123 million to organizations that are engaged in relocating homeless families to permanent housing through Day 1 Families Fund grants.
2023: Wealth Ranking
According to Forbes in 2023, Jeff Bezos was the second-wealthiest person in America and the third-wealthiest person in the world.
February 2024: Net Worth in February 2024
As of February 2024, Jeff Bezos's net worth is about $197 billion according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
March 2024: Donations to Eva Longoria and Bill McRaven
In March 2024, Bezos donated $50 million each to actress Eva Longoria and retired admiral Bill McRaven.
December 2024: Bezos Dedicates Time to AI Initiatives
During an interview at the DealBook Summit in December 2024, Jeff Bezos said that he was dedicating 95% of his time to artificial intelligence initiatives at Amazon.
February 2025: Dinner with Musk, Trump, and Changes to Washington Post Opinion Policies
In February 2025, Bezos dined with Elon Musk and Trump at Mar-a-Lago. On the same night, Bezos announced changes to the Washington Post's opinion policies to promote "free markets and personal liberties" and suppress divergent opinions.
November 2025: Bezos Co-founded Project Prometheus
In November 2025, Jeff Bezos announced that he co-founded Project Prometheus with former Google executive Vik Bajaj. The company will focus on the use of artificial intelligence in engineering and the manufacturing of computers, spacecraft, and automobiles.
November 30, 2025: Bezos Ranked Fifth Wealthiest Person
As of November 30, 2025, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranks Jeff Bezos the fifth wealthiest person in the world, with an estimated wealth of $255 billion.
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